Neutron-upscattering enhancement of the triple-alpha process

The neutron inelastic scattering of carbon-12, populating the Hoyle state, is a reaction of interest for the triple-alpha process. The inverse process (neutron upscattering) can enhance the Hoyle state’s decay rate to the bound states of ¹²C, effectively increasing the overall triple-alpha reaction rate. The cross section of this reaction is impossible to measure experimentally but has been determined here at astrophysically-relevant energies using detailed balance. Using a highly-collimated monoenergetic beam, here we measure neutrons incident on the Texas Active Target Time Projection Chamber (TexAT TPC) filled with CO₂ gas, we measure the 3α-particles (arising from the decay of the Hoyle state following inelastic scattering) and a cross section is extracted. Here we show the neutron-upscattering enhancement is observed to be much smaller than previously expected. The importance of the neutron-upscattering enhancement may therefore not be significant aside from in very particular astrophysical sites (e.g. neutron star mergers).

The triple-alpha process plays a role in nucleosynthesis, in the formation of ¹²C. Here, the authors discuss the rate and role of the neutron upscattering phenomenon on the triple-alpha process in a multi-step process.

The 12C(n, 2n)11C cross section from threshold to 26.5 MeV

The ¹²C(n, 2n)¹¹C cross section was measured from just below threshold to 26.5 MeV using the Pelletron accelerator at Ohio University. Monoenergetic neutrons, produced via the ³H(d,n)⁴He reaction, were allowed to strike targets of polyethylene and graphite. Activation of both targets was measured by counting positron annihilations resulting from the β⁺ decay of ¹¹C. Annihilation gamma rays were detected, both in coincidence and singly, using back-to-back NaI detectors. The incident neutron flux was determined indirectly via ¹H(n,p) protons elastically scattered from the polyethylene target. Previous measurements fall into upper and lower bands; the results of the present measurement are consistent with the upper band.

E2 interference effects in the 12C(α,γ0)16O reaction

The E1-E2 interference sign between the E(c.m.)=2.68-MeV E2 resonance and an underlying E1 strength has been measured for the first time. An E1-E2 asymmetry parameter of a=0.07±0.05 was extracted from the thick-target γ-ray yields of the narrow resonance at angles of 45° and 135°. The positive sign of a corresponded to constructive interference at forward angles and, further, allowed the interference between the resonance and an E2 background to be identified as constructive below the resonance energy. The E2-E2 interference was then used to evaluate the global S(E2) data within the vicinity of the resonance 2.5≤E(c.m.)≤3.0  MeV. An analysis of the global S(E2) data that agreed with the interference scenario has determined the E2-E2 interference scheme of the 4.34-MeV resonance and background, resulting in a value of S(E2)(300)=62(-6)(+9)  keV b.